Appendage moistener



Aug; 8,

' w. J. MILLER Erm.

APPENDAGE MoIsTENER .Filed July 23, 19,40

In ven ions' y E lorn y Patented Aug. 8, 19.44

p 2,355,1 72' 'APPENDAGE MoIsTENEa Y William J. Miller, Swissvale, Pa.,and Lewis P. I Reese, Scio, Ohio Application July 23, 1940, Serial No.346,978

5 Claims.

This invention relatesr tc an appendage moistener by means of whichliquid slip is applied to such items as handles, lugs and the likepreparatory to sticking them to potteryware.

It is customary to make the appendage and the ware body separately andthen join them together. In the case of cups, the Ware body is jiggered,dried to optimum, preferably leather-- hard, condition, sponged andtopped and then the handle is cemented thereto. 'Ihe handleis made bycasting clay slip in plaster molds and when the clay is solidified, thehandle is removed, fettled, ends trimmed then placed in damp storage forseveral days or until it is in proper hyglc.- static condition for'joinder to the cup. The trimmed ends of the handle are then dipped intoslip and stuck onto the cup and then completely dried.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the handle stickers workin moistening and applying appendages vto potteryware.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is an elevation View of apparatus incorporated in the system andutilized by the handle sticker for applying liquid slip to appendages.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a right end elevation of the apparatus Or" Fig, 1.

Fig. 4 is' a sectional elevation of modification in the construction oithe apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 4. n

Fig. 6 isa left end elevation of the apparato. shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. i' is an enlarged detailluustraung the process of applying liquidslip to a handle.

In regard to the provisions for moistening appendages with slippreparatory to joinder to an article of pottery ware, it is customaryfor the handle sticker who usuallyworks at a bench surrounded by stacksof ware to dip the attaching face of the appendage in a bowl of slip andto press it against the article to which it is to be attached. It isdiiicult to gage the depth of i..

mersion, particularly where the operator is working at high speed andthe handle may be dipped too deeply in the slip andthe excess must besponged off after the handle is stuck onto the ware. This necessitatesan additional operation which slows down the processI and adds toproduction expense. Only small amounts of slip are used at a time andunless the bowl is stirred frequently (and it is not a custom to do so),the

solid constituents gradually settle out, leaving a properties. l l Vout, the viscosity, concentration and stickiness of vmore or less wateryfluid into which the vhandle is dipped having little or no permanentbonding In other words, due to the settling theV slip is deleteriouslyaffected and it no longer has the capacity t0 cement the handle to thecup Handles or appendages stuck on with this inferior binder mayseparate from the article during drying or firing and such separationmay be only partial or complete and in either case the prod-y uct mustbe classed as defective and is either scrapped or given a lower grading.Sometimes thefdefect does not become prominent until the articlel is inuse thereby resulting in complaints y, to the manufacturer. "I 'o avoiddefective bonds` from the aforesaid cause, We have providedl equipmentdisclosed in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive adapted to supplant the conventionalbowl and to enable the quick application of slip of proper consistencyto the attaching face of the appendage and without spreading excess slipover surfaces where it does not belong. Furthermore, with the equipmentin question there is no further need for the handle sticker to gage thedepth of immersion and with this handicapV removed production speedsrare automatically increased. Furthermore, by virtue ci the presentimprovement, substantially the correct amount of'material as is requiredto stick the appendage to the Ware may be applied and ythe consistencyofi the material may be held at a uni# form and proper condition at alltimes.

The apparatus shown in' Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in#` cludes a receptacle 6!)adapted to contain a relaV` tively large volume of slip and the level ofthe slip in the receptacle is automatically controlled by means of`a oatvalve 62 which is 4connected to anv inlet pipe 6| for'conducting sliptrompa source of supply to the receptacle. While` the slip level1 in thereceptacle may be maintained at any dey sired height, it is preferredthatlsuch level Vre` v' main about one-half the overall height of thereceptacle.

the form of a wheel rotatably supported on an axle 64 journaled inbearing 65 and driven by an' adjustable'speed motor 66 through doublereduc-v tion gearing enclosed in housing 61. The wheel provides aAsurface at the rim thereof capable oi transporting slip above the levelof the slipin the reservoir to a moistening position and the Wheel isvtherefore partly submerged in the liquid slip and in order to preventdrying out and to exclude atrelease of the appendage when moistened.Fur- Within the receptacle and partly submerged in the liquid is anOctagon shaped wheel 80, with a surface covering of absorbent material61. This Wheel may be turned by hand or mechanically. As a means ofturning the wheel mechanically, there is illustrated a ratchet 8|mounted on wheel shaft 82 and the ratchet is turned by means of a pullrod 83 and a cam 84 rotated by gearing 85. Due to the Octagon shape, asubstantially at rather than an arcuate surface is presented at themoistening position.

.. .This means that the attaching face of the hanthermore, the absorbentmaterial helps preventvv` drying out at the point where the rim isexposed. An auxiliary roller 68 is pressed firmly against 'the rim ofthe wheel by spring 69 in order to compel the absorbent material toexpel and reabsorb. slip each revolution, thus insuring that a freshsupply of slip will always be presented at the moistening position.LFurthermore, the accumulation of solid residue in the absorbent materialis thus effectively prevented. The actionis much the same as dle may bepressed against the material from any position and such wheel isparticularly advantageous in the case of handles wherein the handle endsare joined by a substantially at running the absorbent material througha wringer f each revolution. Av second roller 68a adjustably pressedagainst the wheel but lightly sohas the effect of preventing saturationofthe absorbent material or the carrying up of excess. Roller 68a may beconsidered as predetermining the V,volume of slip presented at 'themoistening position or* lifted from the reservoir. It will beVunderstood that the absorbent vmaterial may be omitted if desired andalso that means other than the wheel may .be substituted to convey theslipabove the.

level of the material in the reservoir to a moistening position such asbelts, paddles, etc. and all. of said variations in construction areconsidered as coming within the spirit and scope of this invention. Inorder to agitate the slip and maintainproper distribution of solids, thereceptacle is provided with means for agitating the material in the formof a pair of propellers II- mounted on a common shaft 12 and driven bya-,motor 13. These propellers operate continuously and serve to keep theliquid Well agitated and prevent the settling out of solids. It ispreferred to rotate themoistening Wheel 39 .very slowly, however, inactual practice it will be rotated at a speed commensurate with therequirements ofthe handle sticker, taking into consideration the amountof exposed area of the Wheel riml and the volume of slip capable vofbeing transported per a given interval to the moistening position..

The handle sticker moistens the handle by touching the attaching surfacecrosswise of -therim of the moistening wheel-as illustrated in` Fig. 7.This occasions but an instant to perform and the handle is brought awayclean with only the surface of the attaching face wet with slip and thehandle is then immediately pressed against the Ware and set aside to dryas hereinbefore explained. Where the apparatus is operated as anindividual unit `and notin conjunction withv a mass producing. system, aconveyor 15 may be constructed as a part of the apparatus for thepurpose of delivering handles or cups to the operator or removing thecompleted product from the apparatus. Said conveyor is driven by a belt15a and pulleys 15b, the speed of travel thereof being synchronized withthe speed of rotation of the wheel 39.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 comprises a receptacle 'l1adapted to-be partly filled with slip through a spout 'l8 having a lid19..

attaching surface.

` Spring pressed rollers 86 and 86a are comparable to the rollers 68 and68a shown in Fig. 1 and'servevthe same purpose. A manual agitator 8linthe form of a blade located close to the bottom of the receptacle andhaving a handle projecting externally thereof through a universal jointis provided for an obvious purpose.

It will be observed that the wheel or disc 39 serves, by rotationthereof (as would substantially any disk-like slip transporting meanswhich operates partly submerged in the iluid mix) to agitate thematerial and therefore the said wheel or disc, whether operated by hand,or mechanically, and turned continuously or intermittently, may beconsidered as an agitator and as agitating the mix.

One advantageous feature of this invention resides in the fact that Weprovide a relatively thinv laye!` of slip supported by 0r on aresistance surface against which the appendage may vbe pressed inorder'to moisten the attaching surface without promiscuously wettingzones of the appendage not intended to be moistened. In the case of asolid surface such as would result from the use of a Wood or metalWheel,

, the slip would be disposed thereon in the form of a thin film or layerto a depth such that only the attaching surface of the appendage whenpressed thereagainst, and no other surface, would be moistened. In thecase of a wheel or other slip transporting means covered with anabsorbent material, even of substantial thickness, it is found thatlittle or no slip accumulates on the side surface of the appendage whenit is pressed thereagainst and at least not in such quantity thatsponging is required.

It is intended that the present invention shall 4 encompass forms ofmoistening equipment constructed as an endless belt composed of fabricor other material upon which slip may be poured or, as along the linesillustrated herein, may become covered with a lm of slip by running itthrough a slip reservoir. Apparatus of this description may be utilizednot only for moistening the appendage but for transporting the same fromone position to another.

y Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. Apparatus for moistening the attaching surface of pottery appendageswith fluid slip preparatory to being joined to prefabricated potteryware comprising a receptacle adapted to hold a quantity of fluid slip,said receptacle having a slotted top, a rotatable disk-like moisteningripheral surface of the member, a pressure roll rotatably mounted incontact with the absorbent facing adapted to express fluid therefrom andanother roll engaging the absorbent material adapted to control thedegree of saturation thereof.

2. Apparatus for moistening the attaching surface of pottery appendageswith uid slip pfeplaOry to being joined to prefabricated pottery Ware,comprising a receptacle adapted to hold a quantity of uid slip having afloat valve controlled inlet and a slotted top, a rotatable disklikeslip conveyor located Within the receptacle and partly submerged in theslip with a portion of the periphery projecting through the slot, theperiphery of the moistening member being covered with an absorbentmaterial, a power drive for rotating said conveyor, an independentlypowered motor-driven agitator in said receptacle, a, pressure rollerresiliently urged against the periphery of the moistening member tosqueeze slip therefrom.

3. In apparatus for supplying slip and the like for moistening theattaching surface of pottery appendages preparatory to joinder toprefabricated articles of pottery Ware, a slip reservoir and amoistening Wheel adaptedto rotate in the reservoir having the peripheralsurface covered with an absorbent material, means for stripping thematerial of slip and means for pre-determining the thickness of thedeposit of slip which is raised to the moistening Zone by the Wheel.

4. In apparatus for supplying slip and the like for moistening theattaching surface of pottery appendages preparatory to joinder toprefabricated articles of pottery Ware, a receptacle adapted to hold aquantity of slip, a rotatably mounted diskalike member partly submergedin the slip, means for stripping the wheel of used slip, means forpredetermining the thickness of the coating of slip on the peripheralsurface of the member, means for intermittently rotating said disk-likemember comprising a cam actuated ratchet mechanism and an agitatordisposed within the receptacle.

5. In apparatus for supplying slip and the like for moistening theattaching surface of pottery appendages preparatory to joinder toprefabricated articles of pottery Ware, a receptacle adapted to hold aquantity of slip, a disk-like member adapted to rotate in the receptaclewith a portion of its periphery projecting above the level of the sliptherein, a cam actuated mechanism for rotating the disk-like member andpressure rollers engageable with the peripheral surface of the disk-likemember.

WILLIAM J. MILLER. L. P. REESE.

